Why you should listen: The prolific garage-rocker unleashes an almost hour-long album of gauzy, slightly sunny tracks that veer across genres but hold together well.

It might not be for you if… You don’t often open your heart to long-haired guys with guitars and, every so often, an organ or two.

What we said: “Manipulator is an unadulterated joy from start to finish, perhaps because, rather than bashing it out in a couple of weeks, he took a year writing its 17 songs and then a month – nothing to Coldplay, but an eternity in the garage punk underground – recording it, with the aim of producing what he has called ‘a Tony Visconti kind of record’,” wrote Michael Hann, in his lead review for the Guardian.

Why you should listen: Glasgow’s Rustie seemingly came out of nowhere in 2011 with critically acclaimed album Glass Swords, and maintains his brand of high-octane electronic music, mixed in with the odd atmospheric instrumental.

It might not be for you if… You don’t want to hear what sound like Mario Kart beeps looping over a trap beat. Absolutely not.

What we said: “Green Language is an exercise in variety that pushes the boundaries of what a synth-driven album can, and should, sound like,” ran the Guardian’s review. Head here for Theo Lanse’s four-star review in the Observer.

Why you should listen: After a few years off the radar, the dance music duo are back and sounding undoubtedly carnivalesque, defiantly bucking the pounding EDM trend. Don’t take our word for it: have a listen to our Junto stream yourself.

It might not be for you if… You’re looking for clear, standout club bangers. Tropical rhythms and diverse production? No thanks.

What we said: “Despite a promisingly funky EP last autumn, it’s still a welcome surprise to hear them sounding fresh and invigorated on their seventh album”, wrote Ally Carnwath, in the Observer. Paul MacInnes gave the album a three-star review for the Guardian.

Why you should listen: The Swedish metal band deftly present a mixture of styles, most often classed as prog metal, but vastly more interesting than that classification lets on.

It might not be for you if… You like your metal sounding straight down the middle - none of this weird, genre-blending stuff, please.

What we said: “In contrast to 2011’s Heritage, which veered off in a number of esoteric directions, this is an admirably coherent collection of songs that are as uncompromisingly intricate and strange as they are incisively melodic,” wrote Dom Lawson, in the Guardian.

Why you should listen: Canada’s Al Spx uses her textured and voice to anchor a collection of distinctly non-catchy and dark songs. You can see why critics dubbed her music “doom soul” after the release of her 2012 debut.

It might not be for you if… Some gloomy artist singing over clattering drums and hookless tunes? Don’t think so.

What we said: “Musically, much here is astounding: shrieks of trumpet and malevolent drum crashes conspire to make a forward-thinking yet nightmarish noise,” wrote Tim Jonze, in the Guardian. Click here for Kitty Empire’s less enthused two-star review from the Observer.

Score: 3/5

Got big plans for records, new or otherwise, that you’re planning to devote some time to this week? Let us know in the comments section.